How do I answer : "What are your salary requirements ?"

[Electric Amish]

One word....


MORE

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: jdogg
NO NO NO NO NO ... it is extremely POOR business practice for a potential employer to ask that question and you should DEFINATELY make it clear. Something to the effect of:

"if you have taken a single interviewing class you would know it is in extreme poor taste to ask such a question ... if you have an offer for me you should extend it ... not try and see just how cheaply you can aquire me"

Such a question REEKS of a business who is eagerly awaiting to screw you and i would beware

That's a really good point except for the fact that the moment you are halfway done with your statement, you'd be out of the building.

 

[waylman]

10 million....give or take 9.9 million

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: KK
Free for the first month. Would that work?

KK

I'd hire and fire you like crazy...

The correct response is "How much you got?"

 

[JEDI]

ask for benefits, such as a massage every week.

or stripper to your office.

or kill 2 birds w/1 stone and have the stripper "massage" u

 

[Noirish]

go do some search at salarycenter.monster.com.
don't just assume you "deserve" whatever you are asking.
because of the slump, there are a lot more over qualified people out there, who might be out of job for a while and will take anything less.
anyway, think of something that's fair to both parties.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: polm
How does this sound :

"Last year I earned approximately 60K with salary and bonuses combined. I feel that my proffesional expierence and certification level would warrant a salary in the 60K - 70K per year range. "

if you say this they will respond with 60k, give yourself a moderate raise

 

[NivekC4]

i agree that this is poor practice on the business end. If they want you, they should extend their offer...negotiations can take place after that. Atleast then both of you will know what is on the table and if a deal can be reached.

When i was hired on at my company, they didn't play these games, an offer was extended with great benefits.

In this situation since they did ask this question, I would use what someone suggested earlier by saying, "I am currently making _____ dollars, I'm looking to make ____ and also further my career, blah blah blah."

Edit::Have you interviewed with this company yet? If so, how many times?

 

[CanOWorms]

I've always been told you're supposed to say "I expect a salary commensurate with my skills and abilities. I will also take into account benefits, knowledge learned, growth, etc."

 

[jdogg]

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Originally posted by: jdogg
NO NO NO NO NO ... it is extremely POOR business practice for a potential employer to ask that question and you should DEFINATELY make it clear. Something to the effect of:

"if you have taken a single interviewing class you would know it is in extreme poor taste to ask such a question ... if you have an offer for me you should extend it ... not try and see just how cheaply you can aquire me"

Such a question REEKS of a business who is eagerly awaiting to screw you and i would beware

That's a really good point except for the fact that the moment you are halfway done with your statement, you'd be out of the building.

I can garuntee you wouldn't .. in fact .. most likely you would recieve an apology from the interviewer ... whether you still want to take an offer from such a company is questionable however

 

[alkemyst]

For me I avoid this type of question with simple negotiable written in...

If they ask what I made at previous employers I leave that blank...to me it's none of their business and has nothing to do with what my salary would be for the new job/position.

It's akin to selling a products and your buyer wants to know your cost, which he could not buy at as an end user and then mark it up just a smidgen without regard for expenses.

A job has a set range of fair compensation, a candidate will either have the skills or not....whether the candidate is overqualified is not important....a job is a job, the CEO of IBM should not get paid substantially more to flip burgers at BK.

If I lose an offer because of this I consider myself lucky as I would guarantee I'd forever have to jump through hoops like that with the company over bonus, salary, benefits, etc for as long as I was with them.

 

[jaydee]

This is an interesting thread. I had an interview yesterday with a company, and the VP of the branch I was at asked me what "I expect in terms of compensation" (This is for a co-op position). I replied with the average salary given to Sophomore engineers from my school and this morning I recieved an offer of exactly that.

Don't know if this helps or not.

 

[huesmann]

Take what you made at your last gig, add a few grand to give yourself a raise (you should never move jobs for less unless you've been unemployed for a year or more), and then add couple grand to that so they can negotiate you down. Say you made $60k at your last job. Add $3k for a raise and then say another $3k for $66k. Assuming they are within the norms for your industry, they may come to you and say, "We'll offer you $59k." You can then negotiate down from $66 while they counteroffer.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

It is a perfectly normal and acceptable question. They are looking to weed out those outside their expected range before expending resources interviewing everyone. I would suggest replying that you are negotiable, and realize that the salary is not the only compensation and that the benefits (unsurance, retirement plan, etc.) available also are a consideration.

 

[LukFilm]

If the "money question" is asked early in the interview (as it often is), the best response is: "What would a person with my background and qualifications typically earn in this position with your company?" The best response if asked late in the interview process is: "I am ready to consider your very best offer." This is one time you don't want to be specific. If you give specifics, you lose--you will either be too low or too high, costing yourself thousands of dollars or possibly even keeping yourself from getting the job.

That said, if you are pressed by the interviewer for specific numbers, don't put them off with more than one "end run" response. First, make sure you have done your homework on the expected salary range for your field. The salary surveys usually are skewed toward the high end (possibly because only the best paid graduates responded, while those with average or low pay did not want to admit what they were earning), so take them with a large dose of conservative adjustment. The best surveys are from those who graduated within the last year in your major from your school. You can possibly locate such information through your Career Center, Alumni Office, or your personal network of contacts. A business grad from Stanford is going to be earning a lot more than a business grad from Podunk U. Know the "going rate" for your major, your school, and the field that you are considering entering. And make sure you know it before you get propositioned with the money question.

Armed with this information, ask the interviewer: "What is the general salary range for new hires in this position?" If the entire range is acceptable, respond with: "That would be within my expected starting range, depending on the entire salary and benefits package." If only the top end of the range is acceptable, respond with: "The upper end of the range is what I have been discussing with the other companies that are currently interested." If the range is below your expected starting salary range (be careful!), respond with: "The other companies I am currently speaking with are considering me at a salary somewhat higher than that range. Of course, money is only one element and I will be evaluating the overall package." Do your best not to get pinned to specific numbers, but if they do mention a number and ask if it would be acceptable to you, respond by saying: "I would encourage you to make the formal offer. What is most important is the opportunity to work for you and your company. I am confident that your offer will be competitive." Remember, don't do any negotiating until you have a formal offer in hand.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: LukFilm
If the "money question" is asked early in the interview (as it often is), the best response is: "What would a person with my background and qualifications typically earn in this position with your company?" The best response if asked late in the interview process is: "I am ready to consider your very best offer." This is one time you don't want to be specific. If you give specifics, you lose--you will either be too low or too high, costing yourself thousands of dollars or possibly even keeping yourself from getting the job.
[snip]
Armed with this information, ask the interviewer: "What is the general salary range for new hires in this position?" If the entire range is acceptable, respond with: "That would be within my expected starting range, depending on the entire salary and benefits package." If only the top end of the range is acceptable, respond with: "The upper end of the range is what I have been discussing with the other companies that are currently interested." If the range is below your expected starting salary range (be careful!), respond with: "The other companies I am currently speaking with are considering me at a salary somewhat higher than that range. Of course, money is only one element and I will be evaluating the overall package." Do your best not to get pinned to specific numbers, but if they do mention a number and ask if it would be acceptable to you, respond by saying: "I would encourage you to make the formal offer. What is most important is the opportunity to work for you and your company. I am confident that your offer will be competitive." Remember, don't do any negotiating until you have a formal offer in hand.

Excellent post.

Another thing too is if you *really* want the job, wage range sometimes gets washed....you don't want to make yourself slave labor, of course, but sometimes 'insider' info lets you know a company that does regular corporate lunches, and 'field trips' that make the whole experience worthwhile. Unfortunately this is dying out in America.